Bells



J. KUNZ July 7, 1964 BELLS Filed Jan. l5, 1963 United States Patent O3,139,855 BELLS Jacob G. Kunz, deceased, late of Collegeville, Pa., by

Montgomery County Bank and Trust Company, Norristown, Pa., and Bertha L.Kunz, executors, Collegeville, Pa., assignors to SchulmerichElectronics, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 15, 1963,Ser. No. 252,273 6 Claims. (Cl. 116-471) This invention relates tohandbells useful in manually playing music by groups of players.

Such music normally is played by handbells of sizes that producedifferent notes when swung. A chorus is usually made up of a group ofpersons each having different sized bells. Each player swings a bell soas to actuate it, the bells being swung selectively as the music beingplayed requires.

A handbell generally includes a handle in the form of a loop of leatheror similar material that is attached to a tang integral with the bell. Acast bell after being machined to a selected contour still will not beuniform around the circumference so that it is desirable to turn theclapper relative to the bell to eliminate wow as much as possible. Itis, therefore, necessary to provide means for causing the clapper tostrike the bell at a predetermined location about its periphery.

It is also necessary that handbells be tuned properly and that asuitable means be provided for ensuring the rapid removal of the strikeror clapper from the bell side after striking it. If it is not removedquickly enough, the tone will be dampened. On the other hand, if themeans for ensuring rapid removal of the clapper from the bell side istoo strong, then the musician would be required to swing the bell veryfast or hard to cause the clapper to strike the bell.

In prior devices, solid springs have been used which are not readilyadjustable and no means was provided for adjusting the relation betweenthe handle and clapper and the bell.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a handbell arrangementwherein the relative positions of clapper, handle and bell can beadjusted easily so as to produce proper notes and minimum wow whenstruck.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable restrainingmeans for the clapper in order to vary the action between the clapperand bell.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clapper or strikerarranged and constructed to produce different tone intensities as thebell is swung or actuated.

In one aspect of the invention, a handbell may include a bell portionhaving a tang integral with it and concentric to the periphery thereof.A handle in the form of a loop of leather or other material may berigidly fastened to a block having a central passage therethrough alongthe longitudinal axis of the handle loop.

In another aspect of the invention, a clapper shaft may be mounted on apivot pin within the bell for oscillatory motion. The pivot pin may bemounted between two arms of a member that is rigidly held in adjustedposition by a bolt extending through the handle block, the bell tang andthreadedly into the pivot supporting member. This construction providesmeans for causing the clapper to strike the bell at a predeterminedpoint about its periphery.

In still another aspect of the invention, a clapper may be attached tothe free end of the clapper shaft, and it may be in the form of a diskhaving a peripheral groove therein, within the latter of which maybe aresilient band such as an O-ring or the like.

In still another aspect of the invention, the disk may be provided witha recess at a location on its periphery 3,139,855 Patented July 7, 1964ICC within which may be located a yieldable element between the O-ringand disk sothat a soft tone will be produced when that portion of theclapper hits the bell.

In a still further aspect of the invention, the pivot supporting membermay be bifurcated, and its legs may extend down along and between whichthe clapper shaft oscillates when the bell is swung. Transverselyaligned, longitudinally spaced grooves may be provided along the legsfor the reception of a resilient band or the like. By locating the bandin different grooves, different actions between the clapper and bell areproduced. y

The above, other objects and novel features of the invention will becomeapparent from the following specifi'- cation and accompanying drawingwhich is merely exemplary.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a handbell to which theprinciples of the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along y line 2--2 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the results of an adjustable featureof the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4 4 of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 5 is an end view of a clapper embodying certain features of theinvention.

Referring to the drawing, the principles of the invention are shown asapplied to a handbell including a campaniform member or bell 10 of usualconstruction and including a tang 11 integrally cast with the body ofthe bell 10. The tang includes a passage 12 therethrough adapted toreceive a bolt 13 that extends through a handle block 14. A flexible,non-metallic disk 15 may be mounted on the bell 10 and may include acentral aperture that receives the tang 11. A washer 16 may be locatedbetween the disk 1S and block 14, the construction insulating the bell10 from the handle block 14. The inner end of the bolt 13 is threadedinto a member 17 located in line with the tang 11 and held inside thebell 10.

A handle 18, of generally loop formation, may be riveted or otherwisesecurely fastened to the handle block 14, for example, by means ofrivets 19. The handle 18 may be made of leather or other suitableflexible material.

The member 17 may be bifurcated to provide spaced parallel legs 20 and21, between which may be a pivot pin 22 to which is fixed a clapper orstriker shaft 23. The free end of shaft 23 may iixedly support a clapperor striker in the form of a disk 24 having a peripheral groove 25. Aresilient ring 26 may be mounted in the groove 25, and it may be anO-ring or other suitable resilient annular member.

From the foregoing it is evident that by loosening bolt 13, the handle18, bifurcated member 17 and striker shaft 23 may be adjusted angularlyrelative to each other. One advantage of this adjustable construction isdepicted in FIG. 3 wherein it is shown that the striker can be adjustedto strike the bell 10 at any predetermined point about its periphery tocompensate for imperfect bell construction and to reduce to a minimumthe wow.

In order to provide a readily adjustable means for ensuring the properretraction of the clapper from the bell when the handbell is swung, thelegs 20, 21 of the bifurcated member 17 extend a substantial distancealong shaft 23 and are provided with transversely aligned,longitudinally spaced grooves 27. Resilient means 28 is adapted to beheld in one of these grooves in each leg, thereby pro viding a resilientimpediment to the oscillation of the shaft 23. In the embodimentdisclosed, only one such resilient means is shown although more than onemay be used if desired. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the resilientmeans need not be located in transversely aligned grooves 27 but may beemployed as shown in dot and dash linesin FIG. `l. The resilient means28 may be made of rubber and in the form of an O-ring or other suitableresilient band form.

`Referring to FIG. 5,` the peripheral groove 25 may be provided with aV-,groove or notch 29 within which a yieldable member 30 may be held bythe O-ring l26. The yieldable member 30 may be a short section of hollow`plastic or'rubber tubing or some suitable equivalent thereof. ThisV-groove 29 may be located on the clapper`24gat apoint where it strikesthe bell 1th as the handbell is swung. Accordingly, a soft tone will beproduced when this point of the clapper strikes the bell, and a hardertone will be produced when the diametrically opposite point of clapper24-hits the bell 1li).

Although the various features of the improved handbell havebeen shownand described in detail to fully disclose two embodiments of theinvention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such detailsand certain features may be used without others without departing fromthe principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a handbell, the combination including a bell; a clapper having ashaft pivotally mounted within said bell; clapper restraining supportmeans mounted within said bell and located along said clapper shaft,said support yhaving transversely aligned,'longitudinally spaced notchestherealong; and flexible band restraining means carried on saidrestraining support means within selected of said notches and locatedaround said clapper shaft When the latter is in its vertical at restposition, said shaft being restrained to different degrees by said bandrestraining means as said shaft is oscillated toward the walls of saidbell depending upon the notches in which said flexible band means islocated.

2. In a handbell, the combination including a bell; a

clapper having a shaft pivotally mountable within a support in saidbell; rotatable mounting means for pivotally mounting said shaft withinsaid bell so that said shaft can swing in a predetermined path, saidsupport having 'transversely aligned, longitudinally spaced notches oneither side of said shaft and flexible band means around said wallswithin selected of said notches; and means for ilxably positioning saidVrotatable mounting means after the desired path of swing of saidclapper and shaft has been predetermined.

3. In a handbell, the combination including a bell; a

`tang integral with said bell; a handle rotatably connected to `saidtang, whereby said handle can be adjusted angu- Vlarly relative to saidtang; a clapper having a shaft pivotl ferent degrees by said bandrestraining means as said shaft is oscillated toward the walls of saidbell depending upon the notches in which said flexible band means islocated.

4. In a handbell, the combination including a bell; a clapper having ashaft pivotally mounted within said bell, said clapper comprisingagrooved disk with notch therein; a yieldable member within said notch;a bell contacting ring surrounding said clapper, within said groove andholding siad yieldable member Within said notch; clapper restrainingsupport means mounted within said bell and located adjacent said clapperand extending along said clapper shaft, said support means havingtransversely aligned, longitudinallyrspaced notches therealong; andflexible band restraining means carried on said restraining supportmeans and located withinselected of said notches and around saidclappershaft when the latter is in its vertical at rest position, saidshaft being restrained to different degrees by saidV band restrainingmeans as said shaft is oscillated toward the walls of said belldepending upon the notches in which said flexible band means islocated.` j

5. In a handbell, a bell having an integral tang;bolt means extendingthrough said tang along the longitudinal axis of said bell; a handle onthe outside of said bell and a bifurcatedclapper shaft support on theinside of said bell, both held in fixed position relative to said belland tang by saidbolt means, whereby said clapper shaft support can beangularly adjusted relative to said bell, said bifurcated support havingtransversely aligned longitudi nally spaced notches thereon; a clappershaft pivotally mounted on said clapper shaft support; a clapperattached to said clapper shaft; `and clapper shaft restraining means onsaid bifurcated clapper shaft supporting means.

r6. In a handbell, atbell having an integral tang; a han- -dle on theoutside of said bell and a clapper shaft support or the inside of saidbell; meansfor adjustably holding said handle and support in fixedposition relative to said bell, whereby said clappershaft support can beangularly adjusted relative to said bell; a clapper shaft pivotallymounted on said clapper shaft support; a clapper attached to saidclapper shaft, said clapper including a notch in its periphery; ayieldable element AWithin `said notch; a band "per shaft restrainingmeans inthe form of a resilient band on said integral means and locatedwithin selected of said notches.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS116,241 Volger June 20, 1871 139,147 Harrison May 20, 1873 2,472,382Miller June 7, 1949 2,549,157 Auth et al Apr. 17, 1951 3,033,440 McEvoyJune l2. 1962 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTIQNPatent No0 3l39855 Jacob Kunz deoeasedl by Montgomery County Bank andTrust Company and Bertha Lo Kunzv executors It is hereby certified 'thaterror' appears in the above numbered paten?J requiring correction andthat the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

July 7U 19641` Column 4V line 7 after "with" insert m a g line l0Q for"siad" read said line 37v for "'oW read on ma,

Signed and sealed this 24th day of November 1964LI (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDIEIR EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents Patent No 3 13(9855 July 7u 1964 gomery County Bank and ha L.,Kunz executors or appears in the above numbered pate said Letters Patentshould read as Jacob KunzI deceased by Mont Trust Company and Bert It ishereby certified that err ent requiring correction and that th correctedbelow.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of November 1964@ (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. IN A HANDBELL, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING A BELL; A CLAPPER HAVING ASHAFT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BELL; CLAPPER RESTRAINING SUPPORTMEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BELL AND LOCATED ALONG SAID CLAPPER SHAFT,SAID SUPPORT HAVING TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED, LONGITUDINALLY SPACED NOTCHESTHEREALONG; AND FLEXIBLE BAND RESTRAINING MEANS CARRIED ON SAIDRESTRAINING SUPPORT MEANS WITHIN SELECTED OF SAID NOTCHES AND LOCATEDAROUND SAID CLAPPER SHAFT WHEN THE LATTER IS IN ITS VERTICAL AT RESTPOSITION, SAID SHAFT BEING RESTRAINED TO DIFFERENT DEGREES BY SAID BANDRESTRAINING MEANS AS SAID SHAFT IS OSCILLATED TOWARD THE WALLS OF SAIDBELL DEPENDING UPON THE NOTCHES IN WHICH SAID FLEXIBLE BAND MEANS ISLOCATED.